The coalition government led by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has come under fire from the opposition, which is accused it of lacking a strong commitment to pursue military reform following a slight hike in the defense budget for fiscal year 2024.
Defense Minister Sutin Klungsang told Parliament during the three-day debate on the budget bill earlier this month that he had not given up on the mission to modernize and downsize the armed forces and pledged to achieve it by all means.
“I’m not in this position to compromise with or please the military, but I need more time and an effective tactic to do so,” he said.
The opposition Move Forward Party lashed out at the government’s defense budget, saying it was incapable of making any change in the military.
“With such a budget arrangement, I wonder whether the armed forces would be able to reshape themselves,” the party’s…
